Home The Coma – Alex Garland

The Coma – Alex Garland

First impressions. Short book, more of a novella than a novel. I finished it in one day (a day off work). Alex Garland, if you don’t know his work, wrote a famous novel called The Beach in the 90’s. The book was much better than the Leonardo Di Caprio movie of the same name. Garland’s second novel was called The Tesseract and was set in the Philippines. So this is Garland’s third novel (although as I said, it’s more of a novella).

Without spoiling the plot, the bulk of the book describes a dream world. It’s a rather tired theme in literature and indeed cinema – the blur between reality and dreams. And to be frank, I thought the middle section of the book was weak. The dream world was never very convincing to me. But the start and end of the book saved it. This seems to mirror the main themes of the book: waking/dreaming, birth/death, reality/dreams, start/end.

So the novella format Garland adopts is I think deliberate. He wants us to finish the book in a day, or read it all in one sitting even. So that it’s similar to the timespan of a dream, which typically occurs during a period of sleep.

To the plot. Basically the main character (it’s a first-person narrative) gets beaten up in a train and falls into a coma. The dream world described in the book is a result of the coma. That’s about all there is to the plot. But Garland wraps it up very well and the ending circles back onto the beginning, in line with the themes mentioned above.

Well those are my first impressions of this book. I may read it again to get a better handle on it.

My Rating: 6/10

About ReadWrite’s Editorial Process

The ReadWrite Editorial policy involves closely monitoring the tech industry for major developments, new product launches, AI breakthroughs, video game releases and other newsworthy events. Editors assign relevant stories to staff writers or freelance contributors with expertise in each particular topic area. Before publication, articles go through a rigorous round of editing for accuracy, clarity, and to ensure adherence to ReadWrite's style guidelines.

Get the biggest tech headlines of the day delivered to your inbox

    By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe anytime.

    Tech News

    Explore the latest in tech with our Tech News. We cut through the noise for concise, relevant updates, keeping you informed about the rapidly evolving tech landscape with curated content that separates signal from noise.

    In-Depth Tech Stories

    Explore tech impact in In-Depth Stories. Narrative data journalism offers comprehensive analyses, revealing stories behind data. Understand industry trends for a deeper perspective on tech's intricate relationships with society.

    Expert Reviews

    Empower decisions with Expert Reviews, merging industry expertise and insightful analysis. Delve into tech intricacies, get the best deals, and stay ahead with our trustworthy guide to navigating the ever-changing tech market.